The Bronx has a diverse racial and ethnic makeup 44.7% of its 1.4 million residents are white, 43.6% are Black, 4.6% are Asian, 2.9 % are American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.8% are two or more races. Within this population, 56.4% are Hispanic or Latino. The Bronx is home to more people of Puerto Rican descent than any other county in the United States (Census, 2019).
In a multi-cultural community like the Bronx, foods from residents’ home countries become local favorites. In this picture, a vendor sells grilled corn and mangos on sticks – both popular street foods in Mexico.
Bodegas outnumber supermarkets 20 to one in parts of the Bronx, and they often carry very few healthy food options (NYC Community Health Profiles, 2018). Limited access to healthy foods like whole grains, fresh produce and low-fat dairy, is associated with overall poorer health and high obesity rates, which are higher in the Bronx than in any other borough. Programs like Creating Healthy Schools and Communities have started working with shop owners in the Bronx to increase their supply of healthy foods.
At about 70%, the Bronx has the lowest high school graduation rate in the five boroughs of New York City (Census ACS Data, 2018). As a social determinant of health, receiving a quality education is associated with longer life expectancy, improved health and quality of life, and health-promoting behaviors like getting regular physical activity, not smoking, and going for routine checkups and recommended screenings.
The Bronx has more parkland than any other borough in New York City. It’s also home to the city’s largest park, Pelham Bay Park, which is nearly three times as large as New York’s famed Central Park, located in the borough of Manhattan. Despite all of its green space, as of 2017, 17% of Bronx residents had been diagnosed with asthma at some time in their lives, making the Bronx one of the most asthma-dense counties in the United States (NYC Epiquery, 2017). Triggers of asthma episodes include exposure to high pollution, secondhand smoke, and pests like cockroaches and mice, which are more common in high-poverty, urban neighborhoods.
While crime rates in the Bronx fell 71% from 1993 to 2001, the borough still has a long way to go. Exposure to and fear of crime has negative effects on mental and emotional health. Unsafe streets can also prevent residents, young and old, from going outside and engaging in heart-healthy physical activity.
Poverty remains at crisis levels in the Bronx with up to 36% of residents living below the poverty line (NYC Community Health Profiles, 2018). According US Census data, the South Bronx, NY Congressional District 15, is the poorest urban congressional district in the United States (Census ACS Data, 2017).
Sometimes unassuming structures are monuments of cultural history. This apartment building at 1520 Sedwick Avenue, just a mile from the Institute’s Walton Family Health Center and Mt. Hope Family Practice, is recognized by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as the birthplace of hip-hop. The Bronx is also sometimes credited as being the birthplace of salsa.
Community revitalization is good for public morale, safety, and consequently, public health. It also adds a boost to the local economy. Hunts Point is one neighborhood where residents and community leaders have organized to address the issues facing their community. Pictured is a 2011 mural, “Through A Mother’s Eyes,” designed by Hunts Point residents and the French street artist known as JR.